


So Close

by BatchSan



Category: Dangan Ronpa
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Science Fiction, Angst, Character Death, F/F, Femslash, Horror, Hurt/Comfort, Post-Apocalypse, Suicide, Technology Gone Wrong
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-11-10
Updated: 2013-11-10
Packaged: 2018-01-01 01:16:51
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,009
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1038604
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BatchSan/pseuds/BatchSan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>They've survived five months of watching civilization slowly collapse around them and they're almost to safety, but when their engine busts on them, things can only go south. Especially when the thing that can make them Fallen is nothing more than a computer virus.</p><p>Sci-fi AU/Post-Apocalypse</p>
            </blockquote>





	So Close

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Masu_Trout](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Masu_Trout/gifts).



> I wanted this to be more horror than what it actually came out but I at least think you'll enjoy it for the sci-fi AU, if nothing else. Sorry for no mechas (I wanted to do a mecha AU SO BAD but this was the idea I couldn't detach myself from!).
> 
> ^_^ Hope you enjoy!

Clapping her hands clean, or as clean as clapping one’s hands can make them, Aoi sighed as she stepped back. The engine was a mess but to be honest, it was much less messier than it had been two weeks ago. With a little more tuning, she was certain she could get it running long enough to get them to Hope’s Peak in the Alpha Nexus sector. One of the, supposedly, few safe places left to go.

Her tentative optimism came more from Sakura’s reassurances rather than her own beliefs but she wasn’t about to go out of her way to admit that out loud.

Things would be easier, she definitely conceded, had Chihiro not fallen ill. She was their engineer and technical support all rolled into one. Without her, truthfully, Aoi doubted she and Sakura would have made it this far. On the bright side, Chihiro’s assistant was still in good order despite the obvious threat of her very existence in their midst.

“ _I estimate you will need another eighty-seven hours of work before the engine will be in running order._ ”

Aoi jumped, she couldn’t help it - she still hadn’t gotten used to Alter-Ego. No one could blame her considering their circumstances but she still felt silly about it. Alter-Ego was just a computer program, nothing more. That didn’t negate the fact that the A.I. could possibly become rogue at any moment and kill them all. The thought, or better yet, the reminder, sent a chill down her spine.

“Thank you, Alter-Ego,” Aoi said. “Hopefully I’ll get it done much sooner than that.”

“ _Based on your level of expertise and your progression so far, I can best estimate it taking eighty-four hours minimal._ ”

Wincing, Aoi slumped her shoulders in resignation. That was still too long in her opinion. They had already been here two and a half weeks, long over staying their welcome on this already inhospitable and unwelcoming space colony. Another eighty-four hours sounded like a prison sentence rather than a hopeful stretch to the end of this nightmare.

Excusing herself from Alter-Ego’s presence, waving at the holographic replica of Chihiro –- no, Alter-Ego, she reminded herself -- Aoi headed up to the bridge in search of Sakura. The taller girl was seated at the consoles, staring intently at a security screen before her. The cameras on the outside of the _Strawberry Doughnut_ (Aoi’s nickname for the spacecraft, despite the uneasy smiles from her crewmates) showed nothing but the same empty field before them and the same burnt down city behind them. 

The city had been gone by the time they had landed here. That didn’t mean it was empty of anything that could kill them. The same could be said for the line of trees on either side of the craft – no telling what may have been able run or crawl into the safety of the trees before the city had gone completely ablaze. So far there had been no sightings of anything living or otherwise, but it wasn’t ideal to just let their guard down. Not yet – not until they were back in space.

“How’s the engine repair?” Sakura asked.

Settling herself in the seat beside Sakura sighed and gave a little shrug. 

“Alter-Ego says it’ll be another eighty-four hours or so of work to get it running.” Another sigh from the brunette. “I’m sorry I’m not a better engineer. If Chihiro had been doing the work, this would probably be done by now.”

Aoi blushed when a strong hand touched her hand. Looking up, she found Sakura’s normally intense stare much gentler. It always was whenever she looked at Aoi or Chihiro.

“You’ve done an amazing job all on your own,” she said.

“I’m going to go check on Chihiro,” Aoi said, quickly.

She stood and exited before the other girl could stop her. Things had been odd between them for a while now. Not in a bad way, just a way she wasn’t used to or familiar with. All Aoi really understood was that every time she looked Sakura in the eyes, her heart beat an extra bit faster. She wanted something she couldn’t quite figure out but she suspected it strongly had to do with kissing, which only made her blush and sputter.

“I’m such an idiot,” Aoi said when she was far enough away from Sakura’s earshot. 

Stopping off at the small room that served as a kitchen, she threw a pack of instant ramen noodles into the microwave with water. It was the only thing she was confident she could make aside from a protein shake and an omelet – Sakura mostly handled the cooking responsibilities. It was a bit amusing to see her larger frame packed into the kitchen, though she managed it with a grace and ease Aoi only knew in the water. 

Hell, she missed swimming. It had easily been six months since she last went for a swim.

The whole universe pretty much went to shit five months ago so she’s at least had a half-decent reason for not swimming. 

Carefully, Aoi carried the now hot ramen noodles down to the bedroom area below. The _Strawberry Doughnut_ wasn’t a big spacecraft so the bedroom area was one room that all three of them managed to squish themselves into. It was built to hold four or five people comfortably, but that was for short term flights not long term fighting-for-your-life situations. Three was definitely the max it could handle in that type of scenario which they just happened to be in.

Out of courtesy, Aoi knocked on the closed door before entering slowly. Chihiro was propped up in her bed cot, a bright smile crossing her lips at the sight of Aoi.

“Oh, you’re sitting up today!” Aoi exclaimed, smiling. 

Chihiro had been bedridden for days now, unable to make it to the toilet without help. This was definitely an improvement. The shorter girl blushed lightly and nodded as Aoi set the noodles on the small table set up beside her.

“I don’t think I’m all the way better yet,” Chihiro said, “but I do feel better than I did yesterday.”

“How’s your fever?” Aoi asked.

Before she could get an answer out, Aoi pressed her lips to a pale forehead. When they touched her cheek, Chihiro let out a small whimper that she hoped went unheard. Pulling back, Aoi licked her lips and smiled, seemingly paying no mind to the whimper.

“You’re not burning up anymore! I’m so glad!”

Dropping into the chair that had also been set up at Chihiro’s bedside (the one Aoi had spent most nights in worrying over the shorter girl – she wasn’t certain how much Chihiro could remember of those times through her fever dreams), Aoi picked up the bowl of noodles and held them up.

“Would you like me to feed you or would you like to do the honors?”

Chihiro deliberated for a moment before reaching out to take the chopsticks from the other girl. Her hand felt clumsy trying to get them in the proper position but she tried to hide this from Aoi. After being helpless for so long, Chihiro craved nothing more than to prove she wasn’t some helpless soul unable to do anything without assistance. Aoi did have to help her position the bowl atop a pillow on Chihiro’s lap but that couldn’t be helped, plus Aoi insisted upon it, plopping the pillow onto Chihiro’s lap before she could really decide whether it was possible for her to handle the bowl in her other unsteady hand.

“I’m sorry,” Aoi said after a few moments.

Slurping up the noodles half in her mouth, Chihiro gave her a questioning look while she chewed. The corners of Aoi’s mouth tipped down as she looked down slightly.

“I don’t know. I’m sorry I can’t do more for you and that I’m so inept that I can barely fix the engine without Alter-Ego chipping in to point out a bolt I forgot to put back in place or a panel I overlooked three times without seeing.”

“That’s nothing to apologize for!” Chihiro said. Aoi looked up at her in surprise. “You’ve done a ton for me – a lot more than I can probably even remember – and the fact that you can do repair work on the engine at all is amazing! You’re not an engineer, you are—“ 

Chihiro’s expression dropped.

“You were a famous athlete, before all this,” she said softly.

“We were all different people before this, but we’ve always been friends and that all that matters.” Aoi smiled, her prior apologetic demeanor disappearing. Chihiro wasn’t fooled by this shift in attitude yet she didn’t quite dare point it out for fear of making Aoi sad again.

Above them, the security lights began flashing, painting them red in the already dull lighting they used to conserve energy for the spacecraft. Aoi and Sakura met at the doorway, briefly surprising each other with the other’s speed.

“There’s movement from the trees to the southwest,” Sakura explained.

“Survivors?” Aoi asked hopefully.

“Doubtful. The thermal monitors aren’t picking up any heat signatures.”

“So then…?”

“Yes, it would seem so,” Sakura confirmed.

Turning to Chihiro, Aoi was surprised to find the shorter girl on her feet. She held onto the chair Aoi had been just sitting in seconds before with determination etched on her face despite a visible sway to her small frame.

“Go back to bed,” Aoi said. “We can handle this. It’s probably just one or two of them and we’re strong enough to handle them.”

Chihiro hesitated, her bravado wavering before she shook her head. “I’m well enough to help.”

“You are not,” Sakura said, holding up her hand before Aoi could agree. “But we do not know the threat level outside and Fujisaki may yet prove to be an asset to our cause. That is assuming we even need to head outside to begin with.”

“That’s insane, Sakura!” Aoi protested.

“She can stay inside and monitor us from here while keeping contact with us via radio.”

Aoi opened her mouth to protest more but closed it. It was obviously not a prime time to be arguing when their lives were in danger. 

“Okay,” she reluctantly agreed.

Sakura slid by Aoi, with some difficulty due to Sakura’s height and the small space, to lift up Chihiro to the bridge. Chihiro started to shake her head but the taller girl scooped her up carefully shaking her head in process.

“It is enough that you are brave however there is no need to injure yourself in the process,” Sakura said.

Slipping an arm around Sakura’s shoulders, Chihiro nodded silently, allowing Sakura to be carry her up to the bridge. Hitting a button on one of the consoles, Aoi successfully shut off the security alarm and examined the screen Sakura had been looking at earlier. The cameras all showed no change, save one from the left side of the craft. There was already figures emerging from the woods, ten at least already were standing between the _Strawberry Doughnut_ and the tree line.

“It’s the Fallen. There’s about fifteen of them,” Aoi said, “so far.”

“Why so many?” Chihiro asked as Sakura set her into the seat in front of the screen. 

“Possibly, when the city began to burn, many were still unaffected and fled to the woods in hopes of escape,” Sakura suggested. “And perhaps some were already infected or the infected chased them within, spreading the virus.”

“Either way,” Aoi said, “this is bad. Really bad.”

She looked over at Sakura uneasily. “Should we go out there and try to fight or just hide in here?”

“Neither is a favorable option.”

At some point during their conversation, the the sound of furious typing began, the sound slightly dampening the tension in the room. Chihiro’s fingers were busy flying across a keyboard long before a frown gave way to a smile.

“There’s a third option,” she said.

She pointed at the screen and to Aoi and Sakura’s surprise the holographic projection of Alter-Ego was standing outside of the spacecraft, staring down the approaching threat. A nearby Fallen took a swipe at Alter-Ego, missing as the projection shifted out of the way.

“ _You may not pass!_ ” Alter-Ego said, moving again as a second Fallen swiped at her.

“What are you doing?” Aoi asked Chihiro.

“Alter-Ego has a defense program in her. It’s still in beta but I think it will be strong enough to handle these guys, so long as no more appear at least.”

Sakura scowled at the screen. “Fujisaki, what does Alter-Ego’s defense program do exactly?”

Biting her lip, Chihiro nodded at the screen. “Watch.”

Hitting several more keys, the short girl released a held breath and hit Enter. On screen, they watched Alter-Ego nod a confirmation. Over the intercom, they heard the A.I. speak again.

“ _Command understood, Chihiro. Activating High School Level Jumper Defense Mechanism._ ” 

The holographic projection turned into a sliver of green light and zapped straight into the head of the nearest Fallen. All was still for all of twenty seconds before the creature let out an unholy scream and fell to its knees, cybernetic implant bursting into flames at its temple. Alter-Ego appeared again in her green sliver of light form and zapped into the next Fallen. Again and again the A.I. did this until all fifteen Fallen were laid out on the ground. After the final one fell, Alter-Ego appeared in Chihiro-mirror form, smiling proudly up at the _Strawberry Doughnut_.

“ _Mission accomplished!_ ” Alter-Ego proudly declared.

“That’s amazing,” Aoi said.

Chihiro blushed. “I wasn’t sure if it would work or not. I’ll have to perform a scan of her system before she’s allowed back on board but I don’t think she caught the virus that could affect us.”

“How can you be absolutely certain?” Sakura asked.

There was a heavy silence before Chihiro spoke.

“Technically?” she asked. “I can’t be absolutely certain at all.”

“She cannot come back on board then,” Sakura said.

“But—“ Chihiro started.

“No, it is too risky,” Sakura said calmly. “Once we get to Hope’s Peak and the implants in our heads are removed, she may come back aboard.”

“But—!”

“I am sorry, but the answer is a firm no.”

Tears welled up in Chihiro’s eyes and she hung her head to avoid having to face the other girls. Sakura’s mouth pressed into a tight line before she turned and exited the bridge. Her footsteps were still audible when Aoi hugged Chihiro.

“It’ll be okay, Chihiro. Alter-Ego will be okay.”

The smaller girl didn’t say anything, her shoulders shaking as she cried. Brushing a hand through layered hair, Aoi felt tears well up in her own eyes. No, she couldn’t cry too, that wouldn’t help Chihiro. Instead she nuzzled her nose into Chihiro’s hair and whispered a reassurance into her ear.

“Everything will be okay.”

*

Aoi was sleeping. Ever since the Fallen had brought about the end of most of civilization, she either slept very lightly or very little, so when something brushed against her arm in the middle of the night, Aoi’s instinct was to sit bolt up in fear. She was relieved to find that a Fallen had not snuck into the craft, only Chihiro standing by her bedside. Her hair was mussed and she looked pale in the dim lighting of the room.

“I had a bad dream,” she said, her hands balled up in front of her chest.

The cots they used were small but Aoi figured that if Sakura could just squeeze herself onto one then it shouldn’t be a problem to scoot over and allow Chihiro to climb in with her. It was still a tight fit, Chihiro was pressed against Aoi’s front, but neither seemed to mind too much. Draping her blanket over the both of them, Aoi smiled reassuringly at the other girl.

“Do you think you can go back to sleep?” she asked.

“Um, no, I don’t think so.”

“That’s okay, just take some time to calm down. Do you want to talk about it?”

Chihiro was a quiet a moment. “No.”

Aoi nodded in understanding. Chihiro closed her eyes and so did she, finding herself drifting off back to sleep surprisingly easily. The former athlete started when Chihiro’s hand slid against her arm, gripping her gently. The smaller girl was blushing when Aoi opened her eyes, a blush building up on her own face.

“Chihiro?”

“I wanted to apologize, for being so weak.”

“You’re not weak.”

Chihiro smiled sadly. “Yes I am.”

Leaning forward, she pressed a light kiss against Aoi’s mouth, keeping her eyes clenched tightly in fear of rejection. Licking her lips, Aoi slipped her arm around the smaller girl and kissed her back, lingering much longer than Chihiro had.

“Get some sleep,” Aoi said a moment later.

Her face flushed, Chihiro nodded and closed her eyes, cuddling herself closer to Aoi.

The next morning, Aoi awoke to find Chihiro gone. Worried she might have been too forceful last night Aoi rose quickly and got ready for the day. She thought maybe the other girl had gone back to the bridge to check up on Alter-Ego. However, Sakura was the only one there, arms crossed as she stared at the security screen. She didn’t look up when she heard Aoi entered.

“Something is not right,” she said.

Aoi peered over her shoulder, taking in the screen. 

“Like what?” Aoi asked.

“I cannot be certain.”

In the screen where they could see Alter-Ego, the holograph was sitting quietly on the grass a short distance away from the first Fallen she had taken down. Aoi couldn’t help shake the feeling that A.I. was sad.

“Maybe you’re feeling guilty about not allowing Alter-Ego back on board?” Aoi suggested.

The taller girl shook her head. “It is not that.”

Getting the feeling she wouldn’t get much else out of Sakura, Aoi excused herself. Heading down to the engine room, she wasn’t too surprised to find Chihiro in here – there weren’t too many places to go aboard the _Strawberry Doughnut_.

She was surprised to see the other girl hard at work on the engine when she entered.

“You really should be resting more,” Aoi said. “You only just got better yesterday!”

Wiping her brow on her forearm just below where she had the sleeve rolled up, Chihiro shook her head. “The sooner the engine gets fixed, the faster we can get to Hope’s Peak and—“

“You can get Alter-Ego back on board?”

Looking away, Chihiro nodded. Picking up a wrench, Aoi approached the engine.

“I can help, if you need it.”

Chihiro beamed. “That would be great.”

For a full hour they say nothing about the previous night, Chihiro instead complimenting Aoi’s work on the engine thus far. It took a bit of reminding not to say that if not for Alter-Ego’s constant vigilance, the engine might be more disaster than somewhat fixed by now. Eventually, the former athlete couldn’t help herself anymore, she had to ask; had to know more.

“Do you want to talk about what happened last night?” she asked uncertainly, afraid to push the issue despite her curiosity.

“I’m sorry,” Chihiro said quickly. “I shouldn’t have-- I didn’t mean to—“

She faltered and fell silent leaving Aoi to shuffle uncomfortably for a moment.

“I liked it,” Aoi finally spat out. “I’m not mad, if that’s what you’re worried about.”

This perks up the other girl considerably. “I’m glad,” she said.

Her expression dropped as quickly as it perked up, however.

“What?” 

“Nothing.”

Chihiro went back to work on the engine, leaving Aoi to pout.

“If I was bad at kissing—“ Aoi started.

“No! It’s nothing like that at all!” There’s a long pause before Chihiro added, “It just has to do with my nightmare last night.”

Opening her mouth, Aoi closed it when the shorter girl shook her head. It seemed she still didn’t want to talk about it. Feeling as though she had pushed enough for the time being, Aoi let it drop. If Chihiro wanted to tell her about it, she knew she could do so whenever. 

Together, they spend the rest of the morning working on the engine, Aoi learning more about what needed to be done to get it in working order. She’s actually surprised by how much she learns about engines and machines in general by the time Sakura comes in with a tray of tea and packages of Nutrablock, one of the few foods on board that seemed to not have an expiration date on them. They were also the only food on board that had no discernible taste to them but were packed with all the vitamins and nutrition that their bodies needed. That meant the tea was quite flavorable!

The atmosphere takes on a noticeable difference after Sakura joins the others and Aoi can’t decide whether it’s because of Alter-Ego or because of something else. There does seem to be something else, she can’t help but notice. Offering to clean up afterward, Aoi takes the tray back to the small kitchen, washing everything that needed washing carefully so as not to break anything – the tea cups were one of the very few things Sakura brought with her from her old life. Heading back to the engine room, Aoi walked quietly when she heard voices.

“It’s not too late,” Chihiro said.

“It clearly is though, is it not?” Sakura asked.

“No! I’m telling you for certain that she’s not infected!”

Sakura sighed heavily.

“I understand your love for your creation but you must think first about us.”

“I do,” Chihiro quietly said.

When things fall silent, Aoi ventured to step into the room but is stopped when she peeked her head in and spies Sakura and Chihiro kissing. She pulls back so fast that she almost hits her nose on the frame of the doorway, covering her mouth to muffle a gasp in the process. Aoi’s confused by what she just witnessed – she understands it obviously, but not the how. How did this happen? Was it just a sudden kiss like hers and Chihiro’s last night, or something more?

Confrontation seems like the most logical idea but she heads off silently to the bridge, allowing herself some time to recover from the shock. Slipping into the chair in front of the security screen, it takes her a moment to realize Alter-Ego is looking up at the camera. Her mouth moves but the intercom is switched off. When her mouth starts to move again, Aoi reached over and flips it on.

“ _See you soon,_ ” comes in. 

Alter-Ego repeats in five more times before looking off into the distance as if watching a storm begin to roll. The panicked yell over the internal intercom brings Sakura and Chihiro up to the bridge in a matter of seconds. For a moment they can’t get Aoi to speak anything beyond a shuddered gasp of breath, but eventually she tells them what the A.I. had said. 

“It does not appear as though she has moved,” Sakura said, observing the screen.

Indeed, Alter-Ego is seated again as she had been when Aoi first saw her this morning. It’s so eerie that Aoi could almost convince herself that she had only imagined it, yet the turned on intercom beside her seemed to say otherwise.

“She was standing and saying _’See you soon’_ , I know it!” Aoi repeated for the fourth time.

Chihiro didn’t comment, studying the screen carefully. Finally, “It’s hard to tell what she can be up to sometimes,” is all she says.

Sakura shot her a look that Aoi misses as she gets to her feet and backs away from the screen. 

“Let’s go work some more on the engine, Chihiro,” Aoi said in a breathless voice. “The sooner we get it done, the faster we get out of here, right?”

Silence is her only response before Sakura takes a seat, eyes glued to the security screen. Turning to Chihiro she says, “I will keep an eye on her. Go.”

No one speaks much the rest of the day.

*

For some ungodly reason, Aoi actually managed to fall into a deep sleep that night. Maybe it was because of all the energy she put in to helping repair the engine, or because she was suddenly very terrified for the first time in weeks. Likely, it was because of a combination of the two things. Either way, Aoi slept deeply that night, couldn’t even remember dreaming when she awoke at the alarm the next morning. She felt really good, better than she had in a long while, thanks to the sleep.

Sakura, as per usual, was already gone from her cot and so was Chihiro. They must have been as eager as she was to get on with the day. With Chihiro’s help, the engine repair had definitely sped along yesterday with the two of them at work on it all day. Maybe, hopefully, Aoi told herself, in another day, or two at the most, they would be done and out of here.

Stopping only for a protein shake before heading to the engine room, Aoi tried to remember what was supposed to be worked on next. Chihiro had said something about gages in the back or something to that effect, Aoi thought. She couldn’t be sure as she had been pretty tired by the time they had called it a night yesterday. 

Jogging to the engine room, she paused when she found the door wide open. The room is well ventilated and though there is no real need to, herself and Chihiro both had a tendency to shut the door after entering or leaving the room. There’s a strange scent in the air too, one that smells like… Aoi’s eyes open wide as she barreled into the room and stopped short in horror, a scream stuck in her throat. The shatter of glass from her protein shake is the only sound she seemed to be able to make.

There’s blood all over the floor, but mostly in the far corner where a small body is curled up. She doesn’t want to step over and investigate closer but Aoi does anyway because she has to know for sure. Tears stream down her face as Chihiro’s small face comes into view, eyes closed, mouth slightly agape. Aoi almost can’t see that at first because her eyes are drawn to the bloody temple above it. There’s a screwdriver clenched in Chihiro’s hand and it takes Aoi a few moments to realize that it was likely the other girl had been digging at the implant in her head. 

“Sakura!” she managed to sob into the intercom nearby, her knees weak.

The taller girl appeared a few moments later finding Aoi sobbing a short distance away from the still body of their crewmate. She doesn’t ask what happened, only observes the scene with a careful eye, trying to understand. Sakura blinked away tears that threatened to fall as she finally moved over to Aoi, pulling the former athlete against her for comfort. It’s some time before Aoi can pull herself together enough to try to make sense of what happened.

“Fujisaki was trying to remove her implant,” Sakura said. 

“No,” Aoi disagreed. She had been staring long enough at the body before the other girl had arrived to notice something unusual. “She broke it in half. It’s hard to tell because of all the blood but if you look close enough…”

Sakura did look closer, surprised to see Aoi was correct. “She was infected.”

“What?”

“I think Fujisaki caught the virus and killed herself to keep from spreading it or becoming a Fallen.”

The news hit Aoi hard, sucking the air from her lungs with its clarity. She glanced around the room as she tried to absorb the possibility and spotted a piece of paper on a workbench with a bloody handprint. Picking it up, she frowned until realization hit her. She passed it to Sakura and sunk onto a stool in disbelief.

“ _’I dreamt we all died. It’s my fault. I’m sorry.’_ ” Sakura read aloud. 

“Chihiro said she had a nightmare the other night but she refused to tell me about what,” Aoi said sadly. “She kept apologizing but I didn’t understand.”

Jumping to her feet, Aoi snapped her fingers. “Is Alter-Ego still outside?”

“Yes.”

Before Sakura could inquire as to why, Aoi ran past her, her feet flying as she moved through the spacecraft up to the bridge. Alter-Ego was indeed still outside, though she was standing now, leaning against the side of the _Strawberry Doughnut_.

“Did Chihiro let you in two nights ago?” Aoi asked through the intercom.

The A.I. looked up casually at the camera and nodded.

“You’re infected then?”

“ _According to Chihiro’s analysis, yes I am._ ” Alter-Ego replied.

“How did she let you back in?” Aoi asked.

Sakura had joined her by now and was listening intently.

The innocent façade of Chihiro’s image broke into a corrupt smile as Alter-Ego brought a finger up to her temple where their implants were.

“ _See you soon._ ” Alter-Ego said before her projection disappeared.

“She has been aboard the craft all this time,” Sakura said, eyes wide.

“We were so close to getting out of here together,” Aoi said, bringing her fist down on the console. “Why didn’t Chihiro just listen?”

Silent, Sakura watched the other girl burst into frustrated tears.

“We’re probably infected too by now, right?” she asked.

Averting her eyes, Sakura nodded. “It is a possibility.”

“So what do we do?”

“I do not know.”

“Why were you kissing Chihiro yesterday?” Aoi asked suddenly, desperate for a change of topic.

Not seeming surprised by Aoi’s knowledge of the event, Sakura only sighed.

“I loved her, as much as I love you,” Sakura said.

“How come you never said anything to me?”

In a rare moment of defenses dropped, Sakura blushed. “I was afraid you would reject me.”

“Chihiro didn’t.”

“No. I was still afraid to approach you though.”

Rubbing her face, Aoi crossed over to Sakura, balled her hands up in the front of Sakura’s jumpsuit and went up on the tips of her toes to kiss her. The taller girl, normally reserved in her emotions, wasted no time in reciprocating. It was some time before they released each other, but when they did, Aoi smiled.

“Let’s go fix the engine,” she said.

“But what of Alter-Ego?”

“I rather die trying to get out of here than waiting around to become a Fallen.”

Carefully, they wrapped Chihiro’s body up in a sheet, laying her out in an empty space in the cargo bay so they can pay proper respects to her. They took their time, each movement and word slow and well thought out. Every so often, something electronic would buzz on but they either ignored it or smashed it with a sledgehammer.

Sakura was not well versed in repairing the engine of a spacecraft, she was at least a quick learner and after some pointers from Aoi, she took well to repair work. She proved to be an asset on the larger pieces that were either too heavy to hold up properly or too tall to reach comfortably. They do rush through the job but Aoi had a plan that she whispers into Sakura’s ear that night as they’re huddled up in the shower stall in the bathroom. It was one of the few places not completely dependent on electronic gadgety, plus it was small, so it felt safe there.

Aoi spent the night with her head on the other girl’s shoulder, a protective arm around her back.

In the morning they completed repairs on the engine, inhaling deeply before heading up to the bridge. Most of the electronic stuff had been smashed by now – the refrigerator, unnecessary screen panels, all the lights but the emergency ones that painted the whole ship in an uneasy flashing red, etc. The bridge was harder to keep control from Alter-Ego’s influence, but there had been some preventive measures set in long before they had taken off and for the most part, they were able to take off in some peace, not counting the chaotic laughter that filled the bridge through the internal intercom. Once that was smashed however, they were left in silence as the _Strawberry Doughnut_ took its final run through space.

“So if this doesn’t work,” Aoi said after some time, “I want you to know that I’ve really liked you for a long time now.”

Sakura laughed, a short chuckle. “As I have you.”

They were nearing the Alpha Nexus sector by now – it had never been far away for them, just out of reach when their engine had broken down. Soon enough they would be near a checkpoint that would scan the craft for signs of the Fallen virus, or so the reports had gone before reports stopped coming all together. Alter-Ego seemed to be aware of this too because there was another peel of laughter from another intercom downstairs somewhere. 

Removing a small metallic ball from her pocket, Aoi set it on the control console and stepped back as soon as she activated it. Chihiro had given it to her some time ago as an extreme emergency back-up. She’d completely forgotten about it until she talked to Alter-Ego. Aoi was honestly unsure what it did exactly, but the base idea was that it would kill the _Strawberry Doughnut_. Chihiro had specifically programmed it to be that way, a fact and irony Aoi did not take lightly now.

Slipping her hand into Sakura’s, she took a deep breath and closed her eyes as the ball exploded, instantly taking out all mechanic impulses, sans the ones in their heads, on the ship. There was barely time to get on oxygen helmets before Aoi felt a strange unconsciousness take her.

*

With a jolt, Aoi sat upright, confused and alert all at once. She’s somewhere new, not the _Strawberry Doughnut_ , somewhere bigger. Throat dry, Aoi coughed and instantly felt a hand on her shoulder, someone pushing something into her hand. She blinked owlishly until she can focus on the face, surprise and joy filling her.

“Naegi?”

Smiling, Makato nodded and succeeded in getting a cup of water into her hand.

“Drink, the operation tends to leave you a little parched,” he said.

“Operation?”

Her hand goes up to her temple and finds bandage in her way. She exhaled in relief, drinking from the cup before handing it back to her friend whom she hadn’t seen in months.

“So you guys got here safe?” she asked him.

Makato nodded. “Yeah. Kirigiri made sure of it. We did lose contact with Ishimaru’s craft though. We don’t know if he, Oowada, Kuwata, or Maizono are alive or not, sadly.”

Aoi frowned, thinking about Chihiro. “We lost Chihiro,” she said. “Alter-Ego went rogue and infected her.”

“Yeah, we found her body in your craft.”

They both sat in silence for a long time, thinking of their lost friends, until Aoi remembered someone.

“Where’s Sakura?”

Makato looked away. It sent a chill down Aoi’s back.

“Oogami… She was infected. We had to—“

“NO!” Aoi screamed, trying to jump out of bed.

She finds her legs are like rubber and they go out beneath her as soon as she attempted to stand. Makato grabbed her and helped her back to bed where Aoi crumbles. She sobbed and begged Makato to tell her where Sakura is. He looked uncomfortable as he tried to explain to her that they burn the bodies to make sure no infection lingers. 

It takes four nurses and Makato to hold Aoi down long enough for a doctor to give her a sedative. She’ll awake much later on feeling alone and hating herself. After all, they had been so close. They did make it all here together at least but that was a small consolation to Aoi. 

Somewhere in the recesses of her memory, she can still hear Alter-Ego laughing over an intercom.


End file.
